THE VATICAN and the Growing Salesian Presence

Two appointments took place today in the Vatican. The first one was quiet and expected– the second one, let’s just say… should draw our attention.

The First Appointment

Bishop-elect Jean Laffitte

Monsignor Jean Laffitte, vice president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, was appointed secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Family– a position which will elevate him to Bishop. Monsignor Laffitte was born in 1952, in Oloron-Sainte Marie, France, and was ordained a priest in 1989. His appointment was a normal choice, given his long-standing record of work in family and marriage issues. Monsignor Laffitte holds a doctorate in moral theology. He is a member of the Community of Emmanuel.

The Second Appointment

Bishop-Elect Mario Toso

Father Mario Toso, S.D.B., a professor of Social Philosophy, who served as Rector Magnificus from 2003 to 2007 at the Pontifical Salesian University, and as consultor for the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, is a well-known social philosopher in Italy. Father Toso was born in Mogliano Veneto, Italy, in 1950 and was ordained a priest in 1978.

Father Toso’s appointment today as Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, elevates him to Bishop. His appointment adds to the growing influence of Salesians in the Holy See — like his close friend, Secretary of State, Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone. Cardinal Bertone also oversees the operations of L’Osservatore Romano— a newspaper that has stirred much controversy, because of its approval of President Obama’s performance– and for such unpapal-like incursions into the world of Harry Potter and pop singer, Michael Jackson. Today, as if we had not seen it all, L’Osservatore Romano published an article by German-born contemporary philosopher, George Sans, who prompts us to take a second look at Karl Marx’s theories. Remember, Marx… the one that called religion “the opium of the masses.” The article written by Sans was originally published in La Civiltà Cattolica, a Jesuit publication. What is even more disconcerting is that this would lead one to conclude that Cardinal Bertone clearly approved this article for publication in L’Osservatore Romano– a newspaper that, again, operates under his watch. (Read The Hijacking of L’Osservatore Romanohereand Further Reflection on the Hijacking of L’Osservatore Romano here).

Bishop-Elect Mario Toso and Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, Secretary of State

While this commentary is about today’s appointments– and specifically that of Father Toso– it is important to discuss the events that are happening parallel to these appointments. After all, the Vatican is a tapestry with many weavers surrounding the throne of Peter; unfortunately, not all weave in the same direction.

A book written by Father Mario Toso, titled Toward What Kind of Society (Verso Quale Societa?) was published in 2000. In his book, Father Toso presents challenging questions about the Church’s role in a capitalist society, and discusses capitalism from the perspective of Paul VI, John Paul II, Friedrich von Hayek, and others. Surprisingly, he also quotes George Soros’ admonitions to the world, regarding impending economic abuses. Robert Moynihan, from Inside the Vatican, reported the following on June 19, 2009:

George Soros

Toso writes that Soros, despite being a leading practitioner and supporter of capitalism, has warned against dangerous excesses.“Capitalism needs democracy as a counter-weight,” Soros writes, in the passage cited by Toso. “Because in and of itself, the capitalist system has no tendency toward equilibrium. The owners of capital, left to themselves, seek to increase their profits to the maximum: left to themselves, they would continue to accumulate capital, and the situation would become unbalanced.”

Father Toso’s decision to quote George Soros is worthy of note, to say the least, given that in 1990– during George Soros’ growing interest in the new markets of the former Eastern bloc, he followed the advice of economist Jeffrey Sachs– whose claim to “expertise” as an economist was his “rescue” of the Bolivian economy, through a “shock therapy” approach– which left Bolivia worse off than before. It increased the unemployment rate, decreased the industrial activity, and caused the GDP to fall. When Sachs’ “shock therapy” was over, Bolivians were left with the coca leaf as a means of survival, as clearly laid out in U.S. Congressional Research Service reports. Sachs went on to serve as head of the UN Millennium Project– a group notorious for promoting abortion. In his book, titled Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet, Sachs suggests the stabilization of world population ‘below eight billion’ by 2050 ‘through a voluntary reduction of fertility rates.’ One wonders if Toso considered not just George Soros’ activities and background, but also his associates– when he cited Soros’ advice on economic matters.

In addition to his long-standing support of individuals and groups that oppose the views of the Roman Catholic Church, George Soros has a well established record of providing financial support to pro-abortion groups, under the disguise of benevolent social causes– and he does so aggressively through his Open Society Institute, established in 1979. Of particular interest to Catholics is the fact that Soros has been financially generous with two left-wing Catholic organizations who supported Barack Obama– Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Catholics United. These two organizations played a key role in misguiding Catholics by masking Obama’s pro-abortion views and record. It has been reported that in 2006 alone, Soros gave $100,000 to Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good.

The list of George Soros’ tentacles involving long-standing “progressive” anti-life, and anti-family social programs is quite lengthy.

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